


Us Against Them

by toomuchtoosoon1



Series: Kang & Ong [7]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Fighting against management, Hurt Seongwoo, M/M, Manager is evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-03 23:54:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11543085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomuchtoosoon1/pseuds/toomuchtoosoon1
Summary: Seongwoo holds onto his elbow, pretty sure it’s bruised and purple around the edges, trying to cool his expression as he mouths “go” a few times. He takes a deep breath in when Daniel steps back, throwing him a worried look that makes Seongwoo’s face fall.Daniel finally steps into the booth, but he manages to catch from the side of his eye the strange way their manager turns around in his seat to watch Seongwoo with a weird glint in his eye. Daniel’s fists clench by his side when Seongwoo walks over stiffly, very aware of the unwanted attention on himself as he sits down after dumping all the water bottles on the table.





	1. Strange

**Author's Note:**

> Ongniel against management it is!! Prepare your hearts.

Seongwoo’s clothes never fit him; is the blaring thought Daniel observes after whole day long of re-recording ‘Never’ for their debut album _again_ for the second time in two weeks. Seongwoo had just gotten up to go to the break room and get water bottles for everybody; his fingertips tickling Daniel’s shoulder and affectionately patting Daewhi on the head when he leaves.

 

 

 

Daniel catches the way his pants sag low on his hips, butt and thighs absolutely not filling out any part of his jeans; which is why Daniel always teases him about _having no ass_ when they are alone. Of course Seongwoo always raises an eyebrow at him before nudging him in the cheek with a finger or elbowing him in the ribs and going on about Daniel not complaining when he was into the hilt inside of his ass and groaning about how good it feels.

 

 

 

 

Daniel’s remembers how his face had lit up hot red pink; cringing before pushing Seongwoo away and covering his face with a whine; both of them laughing so hard they wound up choking on their breathes until there was a loud clear of the voice and they found Jihoon standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

 

 

 

Seongwoo had dropped the shirt he’d been folding in the basket; eyes so wide it was comical and Daniel didn’t dare move from his curled up position on the bed; embarrassed for everyone in the room, and man was the heat in his face scorching. 

 

 

 

Jihoon had said something about getting his clothes from out of the basket, forgetting that he’d thrown some of his own in with Seongwoo and Daniel’s load to save time.

 

 

 

But Daniel was so busy hiding his face in his blanket, hand latched onto Seongwoo’s elbow, embarrassment only fading when he realizes his whole palm encircles Seongwoo’s whole elbow without a problem; not ever remembering being able to do that before..and that’s really when he starts to take notice of the weight Seongwoo doesn’t stop shedding.

 

 

 

Even from the few glances he’d gotten at Seongwoo today; he honestly looks like he’s drowning in a sea of too big clothes.

 

 

 

One of the stylists decided to switch up his and Jihoon’s tops so Seongwoo wound up in a blue pullover that looked three sizes too big and cropped pants that only emphasized the tiny circumference of his ankles.  Daniel notices it and everyone else does too; how Seongwoo seems to get thinner and thinner over the past few weeks, even with the fact that they were soo busy and tired all the time they'd have to be blind not to notice how extremely thin Seongwoo had gotten.

 

 

 

Everyone in the room is zapped of energy, but they force a bit more spirit out from their cores and into the universe because they still have cameras following them around in preparation for their new reality show.

 

 

Jisung is patting his face with a cushion he borrowed from Jaewhan who borrowed it from Seongwoo, Daewhi is sitting on Jinyoung’s lap voices low in conversation about how nicely their voices blended in with the song. Woojin and Guanlin are in the recording booth trying to switch parts under the guidance of their producer who seems to like the idea.

 

 

And here Daniel sits next to Jihoon and Jaewhan; stretched out comfortably on one of two couches in the room. But the only thing he can think about is the long sleeves that are always past Seongwoo’s fingertips, shoulders drowning in two layers of t-shirts to fill out even a size small, even skinny jeans in the smallest size never showing off a lick of his skinny frame.

 

 

 

It shouldn’t bother him so much..Seongwoo is always grazing on sugary snacks and chips, nothing with any real nutrition; eating just like a kid. But it bothers Daniel heavily when Seongwoo comes walking through the door with a few water bottles in hand and a banana cradled in his arm just to get pulled back by their manager whose hand wraps around Seongwoo’s elbow firmly enough that Seongwoo flinches, that very movement  stopping him from going forward.

 

 

Seongwoo looks absolutely startled; eyes wide as he looks up at their manager; a tan man just over six feet, in his early thirties, better looking than expected with an aura that can go from sweet to terrifying in milliseconds. But that never stops Daniel from holding his gaze and standing his ground. That strong air about him suddenly stifled by concern as Seongwoo nearly drops the water bottles in his arms, a surprised sound in the back of his throat as he’s roughly tugged out of the room by their manager who doesn’t look very happy.

 

 

 

Daniel sits up immediately, the paper with lyrics in his hands crumpling between his fingers unknowingly as his eyebrows furrow and he stands up, body feeling heavy as he makes his way towards the door.

 

 

_What the fuck was that????_

He’s a good three steps away from the door when the producer calls out his name and he turns his head, expression questioning.

 

 

 

“Daniel-ah..your turn in the booth, let’s have you try out the rap part also.” He smiles at Daniel, friendly and easy with a pen twirling in-between his fingers.

 

 

 

He’s about to fully turn around and make up some excuse to get out of the room because he doesn’t like the  strange feeling crawling up his throat; something like anger swarming up in his skin like a warning. He still doesn’t trust upper management nor does he fully trust their manager.

 

 

 

Their manager has tried to have him and Seongwoo separated on every occasion, tugging Seongwoo to stand next to Minhyun during photoshoots, asking the PD’s to make sure they weren’t going to be filming together; just the two of them, then to top it off stepping in when the PD insists on him and Seongwoo doing a shot together.  

 

 

 

Their manager had nearly caused a scene in one of the back rooms during the time they had to shoot a teaser for their reality show. And Daniel made sure to peak his head into the barely lit room somewhere in YMC’s basement. Everyone else was on set, but his suspicions made him excuse himself and be sure to catch the fiery argument between their manager and the PD-nim, Daniel hiding behind the door biting his lip to stifle the curses he was sure would bubble up and get him caught.

 

 

 

 

_I already asked you not to film them together_

_Why? What’s the problem, why do you keep trying to make my job more difficult?_

_If you would follow my directions-_

_This is the second time this has happened, you’re not in charge of this filming session and you don’t have the right to disregard my plan._

_I have my orders_

_What orders? To drive a wedge between two kids who just became celebrities?..please back off and find something more important to do!_

It was a win for Daniel to have people on their side and it was the only support that stopped him from bursting into the room and punching their manager clear across the face. Since then he’s been cautious around him, too cautious to the point that he’s uncomfortable every time he’s near.

 

 

 

So at this point Daniel is about to excuse himself to the restroom politely, mouth opening then falling closed when the door opens swiftly and he finds himself looking at Seongwoo.

 

 

Their eyes catch and Seongwoo looks up at him questioningly, his too long sleeves to tips of his fingers as he’s rubbing his elbow before opening his mouth to speak. Their manager stands behind him almost menacingly, fixing Daniel with a blank stare.

 

 

 

“You okay Niel-ah..?” He asks, and Daniel can’t help but look down and notice that the banana is gone and Seongwoo only has the water bottles in one arm, hand cupped around his elbow where the material is crinkly with pressed lines in comparison to the smooth ironed out appearance every where else on his pullover.

 

 

Daniel steps back, making room for them to step in, eyes following their manager who slides past them and into a chair near the producer’s seat.

 

 

 

“Daniel are you ready to record or not?” Their producer is beginning to sound impatient and Daniel cringes at his tone.

 

 

“Yes I’m coming.” He says softly, hand patting against the spot over Seongwoo’s elbow where he’s been rubbing at for the past few seconds then falling away; eyebrows furrowed when Seongwoo sucks in a breath and freezes, almost like Daniel’s touch was fire.

 

 

 

_Whats wrong with his arm?_

 

 

Seongwoo’s eyes flutter, nodding towards the booth and nudging Daniel as he tries to step forwards. His shoulder is pressing into Daniel’s chest but he’s not gaining any ground as he’s blocked by Daniel himself who is unmoving like a brick wall and staring down at him questioningly.

 

 

Seongwoo holds onto his elbow, pretty sure it’s bruised and purple around the edges, trying to cool his expression as he mouths “go” a few times. He takes a deep breath in when Daniel steps back, throwing him a worried look that makes Seongwoo’s face fall.

 

 

 

Daniel finally steps into the booth, but he manages to catch from the side of his eye the strange way their manager turns around in his seat to watch Seongwoo with a weird glint in his eye. Daniel’s fists clench by his side when Seongwoo walks over stiffly, very aware of the unwanted attention on himself as he sits down after dumping all the water bottles on the table.

 

 

 

The door falls shut behind him and Daniel puts the headphones over his ears, hands flat on the music stand in front of him, the deafening silence giving room for his rightly overactive mind to worry and wander.

 

 

 

He doesn’t get to see the way Seongwoo shrinks back into the couch uncharacteristically next to Sungwoon-Hyung like he’s trying to hide himself. Seongwoo eyes dart to the table when everyone grabs a water bottle and his stomach is growling at this point, curling in hunger pains that are soo loud there was no way anybody couldn’t hear them.

 

 

Jaewhan smiles at him as he uncaps his water before sitting down.

 

 

“Sounds like someone is hungry.”

 

 

 

Minhyun chuckles and Gaunlin begins to whine about missing his dried mangoes and dates before being shushed by Jihoon who shoves a pack of gummy worms into his hands. He looks over at Seongwoo; hand outstretched holding another small pack out to him as if to ask him if he wants any.

 

 

 

But Seongwoo clutches onto his aching arm, mind fixed with trying to figure out how he was going to explain the marks to Daniel tomorrow, and even with the continuous grumbling of his stomach he shakes his head the moment their manager’s head whips around and he finds himself being glared at like he killed somebody’s grandma.

 

 

 

Jihoon shrugs his shoulders, pulling the pack of sweet and sour gummy worms back into his lap before turning back around just in time to where he couldn’t have seen Seongwoo’s fingers curl into his pull over as if seeking protection, eyes looking down trying to avoid their manager’s gaze as the dull throb of pain intensifies in his elbow.


	2. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fingers wipe away his tears and he draws in a long shaky breath, meeting the psychotic gaze that would continue to haunt him for months.
> 
>  
> 
> He shutters, fingers digging into the sides of his jeans when a finger swipes across his bottom lip affectionately.
> 
>  
> 
> “You’re beautiful Seongwoo-yah..I’m sure Daniel can see that too..but I need you to stay my pretty little doll just for a little while longer okay”
> 
>  
> 
> Seongwoo chokes on bile that surges up his stomach and into his throat, covering his mouth as his stomach lurches in disgust seconds before running out of Manager-hyung’s apartment with that man’s crude maniacal laughter ringing in his ears that makes his skin crawl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has events that have happened in the past thats why dialogue is in italicized quotations and then the ending is current time (around the time they filmed for kswsis).

Seongwoo’s confrontation with their manager was only one of many more that Daniel had been never made aware of..In fact if Seongwoo is going to be honest he doesn't ever want Daniel to know about how he’s pushed and pulled by manager-hyung into dark corners, ugly hands holding Seongwoo’s face like he owns him and at times even stopping him from eating so Seongwoo can lose weight. Daniel would blow a fuse; that sweet smile of his would fade into a gruesome glare and he’d probably hurt somebody.

 

 

He can’t be the one person to bring soo much stress and baggage to the team; he refuses the drag the other members down with him, so Seongwoo keeps everything to himself for the sake of the others, **_especially Daniel_**. It starts with their manager constantly tugging him away from Daniel on the sets of photoshoots or commercials then it morphs into something more mentally degrading when Seongwoo is informed that a popular company wants him and Minhyun to walk the run way for Seoul fashion week in late 2017.

 

 

It was just a few weeks after wannaone had been formed,way after the filming for hite and innisfree had been undergone. In the early morning hours only he and Minhyun had been called into a small office at YMC headquarters in a meeting with their manager, the head of a fashion label, its director and the noona that was in charge of their schedules.

 

 

The company project director takes one look at Minhyun and tells him that he’s perfectly fine at his current weight and that he would go perfectly with the retro chic style they had in mind. However the label’s representative takes one look at Seongwoo and stresses that in order for him to keep his place as a model for their fashion line he has to stay at a slimmer weight because he is so much shorter than Minhyun.

 

 

 

Seongwoo nods eagerly, just the thought of being able to walk for Seoul Fashion Week was a dream in itself for him. He remembers shaking hands with the director, company representative and president of the fashion label then being carted off to a bibimbap shop that was open early enough in the morning to where the sun wasn’t even out yet.

 

 

The three of them; Minhyun, himself and their manager sit down at a table near the back of the restaurant and Seongwoo watches with a smile as Minhyun digs in happily with his chopsticks, mixing the vegetables, meat and rice together before stuffing it in his mouth with a content sigh.

 

 

Seongwoo pushes his bangs away from his eyes and starts to mix his bibimbap as well, but he’s stopped by a hand encircled around his wrist when he raises the spoon towards his mouth.

 

 

He realizes it’s their manager who’s stopped him and he tries to jerk his hand back because his stomach is growling and twisting soo much in hunger it’s nearly making him nauseous. Their manager is normally annoying with his constant schemes to keep him and Daniel apart, but Seongwoo at this point is getting aggravated.

 

 

_“Hyung let go of my hand I’m hungry..what are you-“_

_“Didn’t you hear what the representative said? You need to stay slim to walk the run way.”_

_“Are you kidding me? This is a healthy meal; this isn’t going to make me gain weight-“_

_“No Seongwoo-ah, the portion size is huge plus I’ve been instructed to have you weigh in weekly to keep your weight managed.”_

 

 

Even Minhyun raises an eyebrow at him, looking between Seongwoo and their manager with a mouth full of food that’s twisted into a frown. At the time he must’ve been thinking the same thing Seongwoo was thinking.

 

 

**_What kind of bullshit is that?_ **

 

 

 

Their manager has this sneer on his face, hands taking Seongwoo’s bowl of food and replacing it with an apple and granola bar he magically pulls from his backpack that has Minhyun throwing Seongwoo an incredulous expression.

 

 

 

Seongwoo shakes his head, looking down at the tiny portion of food in front of him as he reaches for the bowl of bibimbap that now sits in front of the manager as if he’s going to eat it himself. But his hand is swatted away and their manager glares at him.

 

 

_“No..No that’s ridiculous..just let me eat-“_

_“You want to walk the fashion runway right?”_

 

Seongwoo pulls his hand back, nodding slowly, not completely knowing what to make of the situation.

 

 

_“Then you’ll have to follow what I say. You gaining any weight or not losing the excess you have now means a missed opportunity for you. So do as I say.”_

 

 

Seongwoo’s teeth clench together, his hands balling into fists at his side. He opens his mouth with a smart retort just on the tip of his tongue, only to have it die somewhere between his tongue and teeth, his entire body freezing when their manager scoots awfully close to him. A bulky thigh gazing against his own, towering over Seongwoo like’s he’s trying to scare him.

 

 

_“It’s okay though..that pretty face of yours will look even  better as you start to lose weight.”_

Minhyun across from them chokes on his food and Seongwoo throws a cautious gaze at him, anxiety flaring up in his skin when Minhyun stares between them both with eyes so wide in a surprised expression of disbelief Seongwoo has never seen before.

 

 

Manager-Hyung is in Seongwoo’s face, gaze setting no room for disagreement as he pats Seongwoo’s cheek affectionately; the touch of his palm ghosting over Seongwoo’s skin in a twisted playful fashion that makes Seongwoo’s heart seize in his chest; eyes narrowing as their manager smirks at him before beginning to eat on the bibimbap Seongwoo had ordered for himself.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s voice is trapped in his throat, too scared to open his mouth knowing that he could very well ruin his chances of relieving one of his dreams. So he sits there quietly, banana and granola bar bland against his tongue, stomach still growling when they get into the van and by the time they get back to the dorm his hunger pains wrap up and down his body in kneading, contracting motions.

 

 

Their manager takes the elevator one floor down to his own single apartment, bidding both Seongwoo and Minhyun goodbye with a smile that Seongwoo wants to slap off his face.

 

 

Seongwoo pulls Minhyun around the corner near the stair well, hands tight around his arm begging for him not to tell anyone else about what just happened; his eyes were bright and pleading, swallowing the painful way Mihyun frowns at him, taking Seongwoo by the shoulders and trying to talk him out of it but finally giving up when Seongwoo’s eyes started to fog up and glass over with tears.

 

 

He found that his acting skills were coming in handy in situations like these and no one could really tell when his emotions were written out in his mind like a script and when they were glaringly real. Daniel was getting good at reading his expressions, he always knew when Seongwoo was trying to force a smile but that’s about it… And Jisung was pretty good at it too because his apathy skills were off the charts. But everyone else took his actions for whatever they were broadcasted as.

 

 

So he and Minhyun finally step into the dorm, the door closing behind them as they begin the process of taking  their shoes off to set them in the shelves near the door. Minhyun finishes quicker, patting Seongwoo on the shoulder firmly with a sigh before walking over to his shared room with Jaewhan.

 

 

_“Be careful Seongwoo-ah..”_

Seongwoo stops untying his shoes laces for a moment letting Minhyun’s words sink into his skin, the last of his hunger pains gurgling in his stomach before subsiding and giving him some peace. A few seconds pass and he slips his shoes off; settling them next to Jihoon’s then pulling his jacket off as he walks past the kitchen to his, Daniel’s and Jisung’s room.

 

 

He opens the door to find Jisung laying back on his bed typing away at his phone, probably texting his sister; greeting him with a small smile and a ‘ _how’d it go?”_ that Seongwoo doesn’t really want to answer. But he does anyways, hanging his jacket up then shooting him two thumbs up with a smile he hopes reaches up to his eyes in sincerity, no matter how fake he knows it is.

 

 

It must be good enough because Jisung leans upwards on his elbows, looks at him for a minute then returns the smile a _‘good for you mister runways model’_  falling from his mouth innocently, not knowing how much that title makes Seongwoo feel sick to his stomach. He plops back down onto his bed, going back to typing on his phone  being sure to let him know that they only have about three more hours of rest time till they had to be at a CF shooting at twelve.

 

 

Seongwoo remembers mumbling out some response before looking down and finding Daniel curled up in his bed closest to the wall, arms wrapped around his pillow; blond hair a mess, eyes shut comfortably in sleep.

 

He sighs before sliding into his bed, not surprised when Daniel abandons his pillow and scoots closer to the new warm body that makes the mattress dip. His arms wrap around Seongwoo from behind, large palms flat on the pit of Seongwoo’s stomach, chest curving to Seongwoo’s back.

 

Seongwoo lets himself be held onto, eyes fluttering when Daniel’s face presses into the back of his neck, words running over Seongwoo’s skin rough and low in a way Seongwoo loves the most; he thinks as he places one of his hands atop of Daniel’s, biting his lip when his stomach growls.

 

_Oh Please not now.._

Daniel can easily feel it against his hand; the way Seongwoo’s stomach moves and gurgles, so it startles him awake. When his eyes blink open and Seongwoo can feel the brush of lashes against his neck, Seongwoo thinks in some way that he’s been caught.

 

 

 _“Your stomach is growling Hyung..did’nt you guys eat before you came here…?”_ Daniel’s words are slow and lazy, nose nuzzling into Seongwoo’s neck affectionately.

 

 

Seongwoo swallows thickly, mumbling out a quick _‘yep we ate already’_ before turning around and ducking his head into Daniel’s neck; arms wrapping around his torso hands finding purchase over Daniel’s pale shirtless torso, warm enough to keep them both heated.

 

 

Daniel blinks a few times; looking down at the top of Seongwoo’s head before smushing his face into his scalp, smelling every hint of vanilla shampoo and strangely getting a whiff of banana.

 

 

 

 He dose’nt ask how the meeting went, probably too sleepy and content with Seongwoo wrapped around him to really think about asking. He presses a kiss to the top of Seongwoo’s head, his soft t-shirt brushing against Daniel’s chest, mouth full and pressing right on his pulse point.

 

 

Seongwoo is thankful for him not asking, not badgering him on about how badly his stomach was growling or how clingy he was this morning..No Seongwoo lets Daniel’s warmth engulf his body to take his mind away from complicated position he’d put himself in and would have to deal with for a few months.

 

 

_god he’s stupid to put himself through this.._

And as much as being in Daniel’s arms is like a lifeboat in a storm, his debacles with Manager-hyung get worse and worse and worse.

 

He’s knows it’s not right..he know’s this whole situation is strange, but he can put up with it for a few months right..? Somehow without anyone noticing he gets food snatched out of his hand on a daily basis, he’s weighed once a week on a scale in their manager’s apartment, the attempts to separate him and Daniel grow out of hand and one day everything spirals out of control.

 

 

Weeks later, exactly three days before the first round of individual teasers for their debut were to be released; after one of his weekly weigh in’s Seongwoo finds himself frowning at the scale in bright blue letters reading ’60 kg’. It was the first time he’d gained weight since the meeting with the fashion label and Seongwoo wants to pinch himself for letting Daniel coax him into getting late night ramen with him the day before. He’s a whole two kg’s away from his previous weight and he can feel the anger building up in his manager who stands just a few steps away.

 

 

He doesn’t expect to be yanked off the scale by his arm, tripping over his feet in a gasp when he’s pulled out of the restroom forcibly.

 

 

“What did I tell you about eating all that shit?!!”

Manager-hyung's voice is building into a thunder and Seongwoo doesn’t think he’s ever been soo scared in his life as rough hands push him against a wall in the hallway and he seizes, eyes quivering when fists slam into the wall near his head, causing him to shrink in on himself.

 

 

“I-I’m sorry please I-“

Manager-Hyung is like a bull that’s seen red; his normally handsome face twisted into a scowl as he pulls one hand back and cups Seongwoo’s face in a touch that’s too intimate and way to close to comfort, but Seongwoo’s spine is shaking so badly, his brain not working quick enough to pull away.

 

"If I tell them about this you lose your opportunity to walk the runway..you understand that don’t you?"

 

Seongwoo gathers some of his courage back, shaking his head _‘no no no no no’_ falling from his lips as he tries to twist his face out of the hand that’s cupping his face, ugly fingertips that feel like they’re dirtying his skin.

 

 

Their manager smirks, finally letting his face go and watching with a smile when Seongwoo knee's give out and he crumples in front of him, sliding down the wall and onto the ground clutching his arms protectively over his chest and glaring up at him with glazed hurt eyes.

 

 

“What do you want from me?”

He flinches when a heavy body leans down on a knee in front of him, a faux sorrowful expression painting Manager-hyung’s features before his lips turn upwards in a smirk.

 

 

“Oh Seongwoo-ah..how naïve you are…this modeling gig is going to pay more than five of the CF’s your group is going to shoot combined..you drop this gig then you owe YMC 10,000 dollars, and that comes out of my paycheck you little piece of shit!”  His anger grows again like the swell of the ocean and Seongwoo dashes away, quickly getting to his feet ; barely missing the hand that was poised to hit him or grab him again; he doesn’t stay there long enough to find out.

 

 

He sucks in a breath, clutching a hand to his chest and stepping back when Manager- hyung turns to the side and faces him.

 

 

“That’s not fair!! Why would you keep something like that from me??! I would’ve never agreed to this bullshit!!” He yells, his entire being fuming, backing up step by step as sweat begins to form at the sides of his forehead.

 

“You want to let down your team? Risk having not enough money to being able to have a comeback, cause employee’s to lose their job and be the one who causes your group to fail?”

 

Seongwoo’s heart aches at his words and his face falls in a helpless expression, fists clenched at his sides, looking down as he shakes his head in answer.

 

Hands press down onto his shoulders when he looks up he finds that Manager-hyung’s expression is softer now. It’s terrifying how quickly he changes and Seongwoo knows at this point he’s trapped, tears falling down his face in frustration.

 

 

**_How could I just agree to something like that soo easily?_ **

Fingers wipe away his tears and he draws in a long shaky breath, meeting the psychotic gaze that would continue to haunt him for months.

 

 

He shutters, fingers digging into the sides of his jeans when a finger swipes across his bottom lip affectionately.

 

 

“You’re beautiful Seongwoo-yah..I’m sure Daniel can see that too..but I need you to keep loosing weight so you can make all of us in YMC and Wannaone proud okay?...Even better you can be my pretty little doll just for a little while longer and I can get you any modeling job you want..How does that sound?"

 

A full heavy hand pats him on the butt like some sort of dog and the thumb swiping across his lips presses more firmly and Seongwoo jolts backwards; instantly choking on bile that surges up his stomach and into his throat, covering his mouth as his stomach lurches in disgust seconds before shoving him as hard as he can and running out of Manager-hyung’s apartment with that man’s crude maniacal laughter ringing in his ears that makes his skin crawl.

 

 

He barely makes it to the dorm one flight of steps up, acid burning his throat raw when he opens the door and doesn’t bother taking his shoes off as he can’t meet Daniel’s gaze at all; instead sprinting straight past Daniel who had been waiting for him in the door way, staring at Seongwoo with a worried expression that turns into complete fear as he chases after Seongwoo.

 

 

“Hey-Hey wait!! Seongwoo-Hyung!!!? What’s wrong?!”

Its late at night and he’s sure Daniel has woken up everyone who had managed to just get a taste of sleep after filming for K-Swiss and practicing new dance choreo to possible debut songs, but Seongwoo feels so sick he can’t focus on anything but getting to the restroom as quickly as possible; feeling trapped in his clothes; skin burning like he needs to scratch it off.

 

 

Seongwoo barely makes it to the restroom, almost tripping on the tile floors as he gets down onto his knees and clutches onto the toilet when undigested food and bile wretches up out of his mouth painting the water an ugly green brown yellow color that makes him feel even more sick.

 

 

His body contracts again and again till his mouth burns and his stomach is cramping; tears gathering in his eyes when a hand pats his back reassuringly. He pulls his head up from the toilet sure he looks like death as he turns his head to see Daniel behind him; leaning down on one knee and reaching forward to press a tissue to the side of Seongwoo's mouth; wiping away any remains throw up from his lips.

 

 

“Fuck what happened Seongwoo-Hyung?..How did this happen?”

 

 

Daniel looks angry and agonized; gaze sad like a kicked puppy when his fingers press against the corner of Seongwoo’s eyes wiping the tears and letting Seongwoo fall back against him bonelessly, too tired and shocked, panting breathlessly. Daniel sits down, gathers Seongwoo in his arms, pulling him in between his legs so that he can support Seongwoo’s light weight; chest pressing to Seongwoo’s back, one hand flat over his forehead as he checks for a fever.

 

 

“I think that jiggae from earlier made me sick.”

He lies through the front of his teeth knowing well that Daniel being the sweet boyfriend he is would believe it.

 

 

Daniel scoffs with a relieved sigh, throwing the tissue away into the waste bin and turning away from Seongwoo to quietly usher away the crowd of bodies in the door and spilling out into the hallway. Everyone looks stunned and worried but they slowly back away leaving just Seongwoo and Daniel in the restroom, sitting against the cool tiles.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s head falls back onto Daniel’s shoulder, Daniel's brown strands of hair tickling his cheek, firm thighs on either side of his body, the warmth of his chest; constant strong heartbeat palpitating through Seongwoo’s back and making his stomach calm down. It eases up the pressure so that he can breathe more easily, eyes fluttering when Daniel presses a kiss to his temple.  

 

 

“You scared me.”

Seongwoo chuckles, hand pressing up over Daniel’s cheek and smiling when he nuzzles into it automatically _._

“I’m fine I’ll live..don’t worry Niel-ah..I don’t want you to worry..I’ll be fine.”

He knows he won’t be fine..but he’ll endure anything to make Daniel and everyone else happy..besides if he’s the only person hurting it would be better in the long run. He can’t be a disappointment anymore..he has to protect them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’ll love me whether I’m fat and ugly or stick thin like a high fashion model won’t you…?” He remembers saying jokingly; words mumbled between their lips, his hands playing with the hair in the back of Daniel’s head.
> 
>  
> 
> The way Daniel had pulled away with a guilty look made Seongwoo feel sick..it still does; Daniel’s eyes soft and pleading as he lets one of his hands rest against the bed while the other pushes hair away from Seongwoo’s face affectionately.
> 
>  
> 
> “Ofcourse I will..I..I- just don’t want you to be too hard on yourself.. but you are and you’re killing yourself you know? You won’t tell me why, but I know you were perfect before you didn’t need to lose any weight… …promise me you’ll stop….please..?.”
> 
>  
> 
> At the time all he did was nod..it was all he could do to salvage the moment; to stop Daniel from worrying and save his sanity.
> 
>  
> 
> Daniel’s words still echo in his mind now; clashing with each and every word out of Manager Hyung’s mouth as Seongwoo stares at him with a questioning gaze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man this hurt to write...I'm soo sorry Seongwoo...but hey on the bright side theres a extra chapter where everything will be revealed and resolve satisfyingly.

Seongwoo doesn’t think his days can get any worse..it’s getting better in fact. He’s still losing weight, finally down to 57 kg; clothes getting looser and looser, jaw line sharp and defined, his collar bones pressing harsh from underneath his skin and Manager Hyung’s praises are never ending.

 

 

 

 On a humid Sunday early morning after Seongwoo steps down from that dreaded scale; breath caught in his chest jolting when he’s pulled into a heavy hug, large palms firm on his back pressing him into the overjoyed body of their manager.

 

 

 

His arms are trapped between them, eyes fluttering when that familiar nauseous feeling begins crawling up his throat, swallowing repeatedly to get it to go away.

 

 

“You’re doing so well Seongwoo-yah..just loose a little more weight and you’ll be perfect.”

 

 

 

Seongwoo coughs dryly, stepping back towards the door, hands pressing against Manager-Hyung’s chest and putting enough space between them to where he can keep the sick feeling off of his skin.

 

 

 

“No.Is’nt this enough? Aren’t I thin enough to walk the runway now?” He reasons, sick of eating like a rabbit when everyone else around him eats meat and late night snacks and he’s the only one suffering from hunger pains and feeling weak.

 

 

It’s getting harder to hide things from Daniel and everyone else. Late at night after practices that leave him exhausted he lays in bed next to Daniel, excuse for excuse spilling from his mouth when Daniel asks him why he skipped dinner; his soft firm fingertips slipping under Seongwoo’s shirt and caressing over protruding ribs Seongwoo has tried so badly to shadow under big boxy t-shirts.

 

 

 

“ _I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this skinny…it’s not healthy you know..”_

 

 

_“I feel fine Daniel..besides If I’m happy aren’t you happy?”_

 

 

That night Daniel stared at him with his head cocked to the side, brown bangs falling into his eyes for a moment before his hand slips away from under Seongwoo’s shirt so that he can lean up on his elbows and look down at him seriously.

 

 

 

_“No..happiness is’nt the problem…you’ve changed..your dark circles are worse, your smile is’nt bright like it used to be and even though you think I don’t notice you’re always the first person out of breath during practice when you used to have more endurance than me…”_

 

 

 

Seongwoo still remembers the way Daniel’s fingers slid up over his chest, tracing over sharp collarbones, eyebrows furrowing in worry when he doesn’t say anything back, finally leaning up in a half ass attempt to distract Daniel with a kiss that leaves them both breathless, relief flooding in his bones when he thinks that its worked a hand clutches onto the back of thigh to hitch his hips up off the bed; Daniel’s body moving quickly to shift over and above him; pressing in-between his legs as they kiss heavily.

 

_“You’ll love me whether I’m fat and ugly or stick thin like a high fashion model won’t you…?”_ He remembers saying jokingly; words mumbled between their lips, his hands playing with the hair in the back of Daniel’s head.

 

 

The way Daniel had pulled away with a guilty look made Seongwoo feel sick..it still does; Daniel’s eyes soft and pleading as he lets one of his hands rest against the bed while the other pushes hair away from Seongwoo’s face affectionately.

 

 

 

 _“Ofcourse I will..I..I- just don’t want you to be too hard on yourself.._ _but you are and you’re killing yourself you know? You won’t tell me why, but I know you were perfect before you didn’t need to lose any weight… …promise me you’ll stop….please..?.”_

At the time all he did was nod..it was all he could do to salvage the moment; to stop Daniel from worrying and save his sanity.

 

 

 

Daniel’s words still echo in his mind now; clashing with each and every word out of Manager Hyung’s mouth as Seongwoo stares at him with a questioning gaze.

 

 

 

There’s a few moments of silence and Seongwoo thinks he must’ve angered him, stepping back as Manager Hyung steps towards him; gaze unreadable, scary enough to have Seongwoo looking like a cornered mouse before he finds his feet moving for him leading him to the living room now then nearly choking on his spit when a hand wraps around his wrist and he’s tugged backwards.

 

 

He hates how easy it is for Manager Hyung to control his every move; how weak he feels when he tries to tug himself away just to be pulled closer; leaning back as far as he can when their manager’s face is just inches from his own looking down at him like he could do anything he wants.

 

 

“Seongwoo-yah just two more kilograms and you’ll be pefect.” He reasons; half smiling, half smirking in a way that makes Seongwoo want to punch him in his face.

 

 

_You’re already perfect_

 

 

“But-“ Hands slide up to his shoulders, holding him still; pressing down tightly like a snake strangling its prey.

 

 

 

Seongwoo flinches, looking down at his arms before frowning up at Manager-hyung with an unsure gaze that makes him purse his lips in questioning.

 

 

 

 

“No buts Seongwoo, fashion week is just weeks away and you already have other offers coming in..don’t disappoint them..”

 

 

 

It sounds promising and it rings pleasantly in Seongwoo’s ears to know that more higher end companies want him as a model, despite the common sense that should be telling him to refuse be starved and taken control of.

 

 

 

It’s less of getting his name out there for fame type of situation and more of a ‘money for their comeback’ or ‘money for them to move into a bigger dorm’ thoughts that crawl into his mind. He wants the best for all eleven of them and this is how he can do it.

 

 

That hand he’s become overly familiar with grips his jaw tightly, touch such a big difference from Daniel’s loving careful way of handling him that it forces Seongwoo out of his own thoughts and snapping his gaze back to Manager-hyung’s piercing gaze.

 

 

 

“So what’s it going to be Seongwoo-yah?..You’ll listen to me right? We can get rich…all of us.. I’ve already got another designer that wants your gorgeous face in his runway for twice the price.” He says it soo sweetly, Seongwoo almost thinks for moment that he cares for his actual wellbeing.

 

 

 

His mouth hangs open, not really knowing what to say..he wants to agree and say yes, but in the back of his mind he remembers what he’s been dealing with for the past few weeks; Daniel’s, Minhyun’s and Sungwoon-Hyung’s worried faces, Jisung-Hyung trying to stuff him with food and Gaunlin actually sharing food with him for once, Jinyoung and Daewhi helping him off the ground after he faints minutes after practice and everyone else is taking a bathroom break, making them promise not to tell Daniel. Then lastly Jihoon’s searching quiet gaze that makes Seongwoo think he knows everything; hand wrapping around Seongwoo’s wrist then dropping it quickly before they shoot for an interview; looking Seongwoo up and down like he’s a completely different person from before.

 

 

 

It hurts to have them worry, keeping secrets for him and chasing him with food. They care..they care soo much Seongwoo wishes that they cared less so that he wouldn’t feel so guilty.

 

 

 

The hand around his jaw squeezes, forcing him to purse his lips, grunting in discomfort as his own hand flies up and wraps around Manager-hyung’s wrist trying to get him to get those heavy fingers away from his face; cringing as he speaks.

 

 

 

“O-Okay I’ll loose a bit more weight..now get your fucking hands off of my face-“ The words fly out of his mouth and he doesn’t realize his tone is soo harsh; eyes widening trying to step back when Manager-Hyung raises an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes and sliding his hand down to circle around his neck.

 

 

 

_Oh no he’s not going to..- no he wouldn’t-_

“Who do you think you’re talking to like that you little bitch??” His voice is bubbling up dark an heavy and Seongwoo panics, fingers curling into Manager hyung’s shirt push him away; gasping when the hand around his neck tightens; pressing down hard enough to where he can hear his own pulse vibrating in his ears.

 

 

 

 

“What are you- you doing??L-let me go.” He heaves out breathily, hands scratching at the only vulnerable spot he can see; Manger Hyung’s face flying back as soon as Seongwoo’s fingers scratch against his cheek; face contorting with rage.

 

 

 

 

All it takes is one swipe like an angry cat and Seongwoo is thrown to the ground, sputtering and gasping trying to get back on his feet. But he doesn't make it very far,his feet slip from under his weight; wincing when when a rough hand wraps around his elbow and he's yanked upwards screaming trying fight his way out of it.

 

 

 

"You piece of shit LET ME GO!!!!!! HELP-HEL-"

 

 

 

 

His words get caught in his throat as he looses his balance when he's let go of suddenly, the weight holding him up disappearing and his head hitting the ground with such force that he see’s white spots in his vision.

 

 

 

 

_How could I let it come to this..? How could I let this man control and push me around to the point that he does it like I’m not even a real person anymore?_

 

 

 

Manager Hyung wipes at the long scratch on his own cheek with one hand, scoffing and sneering at Seongwoo as his other hand curls into Seongwoo's sleeve; jerking him up like a rag doll then tossing him back on the floor face up, jeering with a sick delighted smile as Seongwoo cradles his head in his hands; eyes dazed and hazy, teeth grit as he kicks at the floor in an attempt to get away.

 

 

 

“You idiot I own you..without me you and your little stupid group would be nothing so you better watch your tone or I’ll-“

 

 

 

Beeping noises pop up in the background, the door being unlock from outside and Manager Hyung’s head snaps to the door soo quickly Seongwoo can barely keep up, dragging himself to the nearest wall and leaning back on it; trying to blink away the blurry edges around his vision, hand smoothing over the flared up red patches of skin around his neck.

 

 

 

“Who in the world-“

 

 

 

“You sick twisted piece of disrespectful trash I’m gonna destroy you!!!!!!” It’s like a war cry and Seongwoo hears the voice before he sees a flash sweats and brown hair, relief warming over his body as he watches the fervent figure go running into Manager-hyung; punching him in the face a few times, kicking him in the stomach then in a flurry of movements finally pinning him up against the wall by the throat; eyes razor sharp trying to control the anger that could quite possibly move him to kill this man.

 

 

 

"You ever touch him again I'll kill you bitch." Daniel dose'nt even sound like himself, he sounds demon possessed; teeth grit as he's tightening his hold and before slamming their manager's head against the wall enough to knock the man unconscious; mouth that had been gasping for breath going slack; eyes that had been bolted open in fear slowly drifting shut under Daniel's hands.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s eyes flutter, sighing as he watches the limp body against the wall drop down in a heap of limbs and Minhyun is suddenly at his side with Jisung; They lean down onto the ground their faces flushed with anger taking Seongwoo by the shoulders to hold him up, smooth hands curling atop his knuckles and asking him if he’s okay, their eyes dropping to his neck and then suddenly they go still.

 

 

 

"Hi-His neck Minhyun.."

 

 

 

"Are those...?...He fucking tried to strangle him!!" Minhyun looses his cool for a whole minute; which is rare enough that Jisung's head snaps towards him; swallowing thickly as he watches Minhyun's slim fingers smooth over the long red patches of skin over Seongwoo's neck hesitantly; pulling back just as quick when Seongwoo flinches away weakly on instinct, trying to push himself further into the wall; eyes fogging over with tears when Jisung tugs him closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him into his side with constant murmurs of reassurance.

 

 

 

 

_He could've killed me if he wanted to.._

 

 

 

"Its Okay Seongwoo-yah its okay..I promise."

 

 

 

 

Seongwoo relaxes into the warm easy touch, no where near the possessive angry touches he'd found himself trying to jolt away from on a daily basis, any hands near his neck just bringing back painful memories he wants to never relive again. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out, hot fresh tears falling down his cheeks adding to the sudden urge to sleep forcing its way into his body whether he wants to or not.  Minhyun and Jisung make way for Daniel to lean down between them, his palm cupping Seongwoo's cheek, leaning in so that their forehead press together; tears falling from his glassy eyes and Seongwoo reaches a hand out, curls it into Daniel's shirt to tug him closer just wanting to tell him that _it’s his own fault..that he’s sorry for being so stupid._

 

 

 

But darkness replaces the blurry patches in his vision one by one till Seongwoo can’t hold on anymore; the last thing he knows he’s gonna see is Daniel’s anguished face with tears falling down his cheeks _‘I’m sorry’ ‘I’m Sorry’_ echoing through Seongwoo’s mind, then the very last millimeter of his sight goes dark and black _,_ letting hot tears fall down his own cheeks before his mind fades into the sea of the black, bleak unknown.


	4. Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wait what…? What do you mean You’ll owe them money?...Who’s them?” His voice gets a bit higher, tension closing off his throat in the tiniest.
> 
>  
> 
> “Management…Hyung said that this job was worth so much money that if I didn’t take it I’d owe them 10,000 dollars and we wouldn’t be able to come back..” His voice grows in strength, Daniel’s arms warm over his own a comforting touch for him to ease into slowly, focusing on it to keep himself calm while speaking.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> “That bastard!-“
> 
>  
> 
> Daniel’s hands suddenly disappear, Seongwoo’s eyebrows furrowing as Daniel hisses, teeth grit as he throws the sheets off from over them both, sweats hanging low on his hips, pale arms thick with muscle underneath his tank top as he throws a leg over the bed before swinging off of it completely.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> “Daniel-“

It’s an extraordinarily heavy mix of dizziness and nausea that wakes Seongwoo,  eyes slowly fluttering open, fingertips twitching gently across what he thinks is a blanket; the room swirling in fifty different colors before they finally become familiar shapes.

 

 

 

_Is this..my room?_

 

 

 

He looks around spotting fanart hanging on the wall given to them by their fans, Daniel’s dirty red plaid button ups sitting in a corner by the door and Jisung’s unlit Christmas lights hanging around each wall then he knows for sure that this is his space..the one place he’s safe.

 

 

 

His mind seems to become more aware of his body and with a short glance down he realizes there’s a heavy weight on his lap, hand laid firmly across his thigh. Daniel’s head is a brown mop of hair right below his bellybutton and Seongwoo’s breath shutters through his chest suddenly.

 

 

 

Flashes of being choked and throw down onto the floor climb up into his mind; manager-hyung’s voice echoing like a nightmare then Daniel’s face sad face with tears streaming down it shocks him into quickly jolting like he’s been burned with electricity, gasping like he can’t breathe .

 

 

There’s the sound of a chair scarping across the floor and that when he realizes there’s another body in the room besides Daniel who’s still deep in sleep across his stomach.

 

 

 

 Seongwoo looks over to meet Jihoon’s gaze and his eyes widen when Jihoon gets up from his chair placed near the door looking like he’d been up for hours still in his pj’s, hair splayed to the left, a mark from his hand almost indented into his cheek from where he’d been sleeping with his elbow propped up on the desk.

 

 

He looks down at Seongwoo with a startled expression, softening into one of relief that makes Seongwoo’s chest loosen up, the tight constriction fading away into even breaths as he looks down at Daniel’s calm sleeping face, then at Jihoon before lifting himself up from the bed to open his mouth.

 

 

“I-“

 

 

“Hyung’s Seongwoo-Hyung is awake!!!”

 

 

The whole dorm suddenly seems like its rumbling with life, the loud pitter patter of multiple pairs of feet on the ground coming towards them, couple with Daniel who stirs soo suddenly, mumbling something incoherent before shooting up and nearly hitting Seongwoo in the chin as he looks over at him with a startled expression.

 

 

 

Their eyes meet in a quick two seconds of silence, and that’s all the time Seongwoo has to stare at him guiltily before he’s pulled into a heavy handed hug; Daniel’s arm around his back, one hand cradling the back of his head, fingertips warm over his scalp as he pulls him in closer.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s nose presses into Daniel’s neck, sighing shakily and shutting his eyes before wrapping his arms around Daniel’s waist instinctively.

 

 

 

“Why did’nt you tell me..?..Why did you make me worry soo much Seongwoo-Hyung..?” Daniel means for it to take on a serious tone, but he can’t help it when he sounds more relieved than anything else; Seongwoo sinking into his body like they’re becoming one person.

 

 

“I..I’m sorry..It was just..I thought we could-“His words tickle Daniel’s skin,his large palm pressing possessively over the back of Seongwoo’s head like he’s scared of losing him.

 

 

The door flies open and there’s an intense warmth in the room with an overflow of people just standing there around the bed staring at him and Daniel hugging on his bed.

 

 

Seongwoo is the first to raise his hands and lightly place them on Daniel’s chest to push him away, taking note of the long sleeved sweatshirt he’s currently wearing, feeling it hang and sag; creating piles of extra room everywhere it tried to hit his skin..it’s completely different to the simple black t-shirt he’d been wearing earlier; figuring that they must’ve changed his clothes as soon as they got him back to the dorm.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s eyes leave his sweatshirt, feeling Daniel letting go of the back of his head so that he too could turn and see the sea of people staring at them with a mixture of expressions.

 

 

“Uh..-“

 

 

“Well…he looks better.”

 

 

“Still too skinny..in fact I’m gonna go pick up some food in the next hour.”

 

 

“So who’s gonna tell him about our ex bitch ass manager..?”

 

 

“Are we intruding on something right now..?”

 

 

Seongwoo and Daniel look at each other quickly, Daniel’s hand still cupped over his back; their hips and shoulders touching as they lean into eachother.

 

 

Seongwoo looks up to meet Jisung’s gaze with a sad smile, opening his mouth to tell them-

 

 

 

“Okay kids it’s time to go you can talk to Seongwoo later, let the adults have their alone time.” He’s sounds as motherly as can be and Daniel snorts when Minhyun and Sungwoon-Hyung give him incredulous looks. He can imagine the obvious protest playing through their minds even as they nod and back away, trying to usher everyone out of the room with them.

 

 

 

But they all do as their told, Seongwoo cracking a smile when Gaunlin throws affectionate heart signs at him with his fingers, Jihoon and Jinyoung’s relieved smiles, Jisung’s-Hyung’s quick nod of approval, added up with Daewhi who whines about _‘wanting to take care of Seongwoo-Hyung’_ and Seongwoo’s smile is suddenly up to his ears because he doesn’t think he’s ever had friends who care this much for him.

 

_Aish these kids.._

The door shuts and then there’s silence, nothing but him and Daniel. Buts it’s still overwhelming in a sense..he dose’nt want to talk about his forced weight loss or how Manager-Hyung had abused his power…he’d lost his opportunity..without that money they’d never be able to finance another comeback or move to a new dorm.

 

 

 

Daniel’s eyes are on him, watching the way his face furrows in thought, hand reaching up to swipe Seongwoo’s bangs away from his forehead before speaking.

 

 

 

“You won’t do that again right…?”

 

 

Seongwoo snaps out of his thought’s, hand reaching for Daniel’s and holding it in his lap; thumb caressing over rough knuckles and smooth planes of skin. Seconds tick by and he can feel the nervous energy crawling up his into his stomach.

 

 

 

“Niel-ah…without that money we…we won’t be able to promote like we need too..And I’ll owe them soo much money-“ He’s getting frantic, clutching onto Daniel’s hand so tightly his own finger tips tingle.

 

 

 

Daniel shakes his head, brown hair tickling his eyelashes as he turns to the side so that he can look directly at Seongwoo, hands griping around Seongwoo’s elbows swiftly as he tries to process the strange words coming out of his mouth.

 

 

The sheets around them shift and Seongwoo finally takes a breath between his words, staring up at Daniel, and breathing a little too quickly, eyes fluttering momentarily.

 

 

 

“Wait what…? What do you mean You’ll owe them money?...Who’s them?” His voice gets a bit higher, tension closing off his throat in the tiniest.

 

 

 

“Management…Hyung said that this job was worth so much money that if I didn’t take it I’d owe them 10,000 dollars and we wouldn’t be able to come back..” His voice grows in strength, Daniel’s arms warm over his own a comforting touch for him to ease into slowly, focusing on it to keep himself calm while speaking.

 

 

 

“That bastard!-“

 

 

Daniel’s hands suddenly disappear, Seongwoo’s eyebrows furrowing as Daniel hisses, teeth grit as he throws the sheets off from over them both, sweats hanging low on his hips, pale arms thick with muscle underneath his tank top as he throws a leg over the bed before swinging off of it completely.

 

 

 

“Daniel-“

 

 

 

Seongwoo starts to say something, but moments later Daniel turns towards him in front of the bed; his ears are flushed red, fists by his side, eyes wishing death upon any and everything as he throws his hand up in the air with a growl. Seongwoo thinks about the words formulating in his mind, wanting to let them out but he shuts his mouth and decides otherwise..

 

 

After a few seconds Daniel’s hands tug at his hair in frustration, reaching for his pillow and chucking it across the room. He’s panting heavily eyes narrowed.

 

 

Seongwoo is completely stunned by the sheer intensity of Daniel’s anger. All the frustration and rage is rolling off of Daniel in heavy droves that make Seongwoo rub over his chest nervously not knowing how to react without making it any worse.

 

 

“That fucking bastard tried to use you for himself..he..he lied to you..Minhyun didn’t tell me any of that.”

 

 

Seongwoo flinches at the mention of Minhyun’s name.

 

 

 

_So that’s how he found out.._

Daniel stares at Seongwoo, eyes not softening in the slightest, lips pursing in a tight line as he watches him with razor sharp focus noting the way Seongwoo’s whole demeanor changes as soon as he mentions Minhyun.

_“_ Did Minhyun know about all that shit he told you..? If he did I’m-“ Daniel’s shaking his head with a deep set frown, backing away to god knows where but Seongwoo trickles out of the bed quickly in an attempt to stop him, trying not to trip on the sheets as he finds himself scrambling to get to Daniel before he goes on a rage rampage and kills someone.

 

 

 

“No Daniel No!!” He shrieks, hand grabbing on tightly to Daniel’s wrist as soon as he’s close enough, trying to ignore the pounding in and out of his skull; headache resonating at his nerves in a dull ache.

 

 

 

He blinks a few times, tripping over his own feet momentarily; the blood rushing to his feet too quickly as he curses and tries to reorient himself.

 

 

Daniel’s eyes widen; grabbing him by the shoulders firmly as a surprised sound dies in the back of his throat the moment he realizes Seongwoo is unstable on his feet.

 

 

 

Seongwoo looks ridiculously weak, fragile like glass as he sways and stumbles even in Daniel’s hold.

 

 

 

Daniel wants to get mad; mad like he could tear somebody apart mad. But he can’t, sharp edges disappearing as Seongwoo looks up at him with a pleading gaze; a haze glossed over them as he clutches onto Daniel’s bicep’s as stable as he can as the room stops spinning long enough for him to speak.

 

 

 

“ **No don’t you dare Kang Daniel** …no one knew about the things he said except me..-you-you can’t cause a rukus in this house just because of me..I’m not going to let you.” Seongwoo looks up fiercely at him, fingers curled tight enough around his arm that Daniel is actually surprised; letting out a long shaky sigh before walking forward and pulling Seongwoo to sit down on the bed; eyebrows raised when he realizes Seongwoo isn’t letting him go; that fighting look never fading from his eyes.

 

 

 

“I believe you Seongwoo-Hyung..I’m just..just angry..I’m not going to go after Minhyun..I promise.” He says sincerely, watching as Seongwoo’s whole body goes from rigid to slack; fingers uncurling from his arm slowly.

 

 

 

Daniel leans in front of him, one knee on the ground, hands placed on either side of Seongwoo’s hips on the bed. He’s looking up at Seongwoo trying to calm his ever changing expressions; the balancing act of keeping his emotions in check becoming far more difficult than he’s ever imagined.

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s disposition does a 360 degree spin and he looks helpless as his eyes glaze over; that adrenaline turning into crashing realization that makes Daniel’s chest hurt and sore all the way up to his throat .

 

 

 

Seongwoo’s hard exterior crumbles until he’s at him a vulnerable point, shuttering as he throws himself at Daniel, arms wrapping around his neck as he hides his face there, not being able to stop the way his spine trembles with each breath, holding on tightly as Daniel brings them both to their feet; arms tucked around Seongwoo’s waist faithfully.

 

 

 

“I’m so stupid to have believed in him..theres n-now way its true r-right?” His words walk across the hot skin on Daniel’s neck, Seongwoo needing some kind of reassurance as he tries to blink his tears away.

 

 

 

Daniel wants nothing more than to make these last few weeks disappear as if they never happened, feeling guilt eat at his mind as he thinks about all the times Seongwoo refused to eat, the way he would stumble over his feet in practice way too often and the sick look on his face every time he’d return after meeting with their manager..He should’ve known something was wrong…

 

 

 

And even though always knew Seongwoo could handle himself..that he’s a grown adult well versed in the way of life…this…this is’nt something someone can handle alone…The first time either of them sign a contract in the entertainment industry to debut and people are already trying to use them..

 

 

 

If he were in Seongwoo’s place he would’ve broken down immediately or run away…but Seongwoo stayed strong and kept up the torturous routine not for himself but for everyone else.

 

 

 

_“Niel-ah…without that money we…we won’t be able to promote like we need too..”_

 

 

 

 He was about to sacrifice his health and well-being for the rest of them and Daniel knows he’s going to be saying sorry over and over again for his own oblivious mind set and inattentiveness to Seongwoo’s state of mind.

                                                                                    

 

 

Well…It’s just another mistake he’ll be making up for as long as he and Seongwoo are together.

 

 

 

They breathe in each other’s scent; soaking in the few moments of silence as they hold onto each other.

 

 

 

“No baby it can’t be true..I’m soo sorry …I’m soo fucking sorry he made you believe all those lies and have you carry those burdens for soo long…I feel like I should’ve known-“ Daniel starts rambling at the end, voice getting tighter and tighter till Seongwoo pulls back and cups his cheeks between his palms; thumbs rubbing over the soft angle of his cheekbone with a sad smile.

 

 

 

“You know damn well you can’t know everything and protect me all the time Niel-ah…”

 

 

Daniel shakes his head, leaning in to press his lips to Seongwoo’s desperately, all the excess fabric over Seongwoo’s back gathering in his arms as he presses their bodies close; his whole arm wrapped around Seongwoo’s overly slim frame easily...too easily he thinks.

 

 

 

Seongwoo is surprised for a second, eyes fluttering; but then he melts into it, their lips slow and meshing together in a way that has his heart beating a little quicker.

 

 

 

The room warms up with their body heats combined, both of them swaying back and forth before finding their balance and pulling away just to put mere centimeters between their lips; their breaths long and heavy as Seongwoo’s hands pull down to lay flat against Daniel’s chest, finding comfort in the warmth he’s wrapped up in.

 

 

Daniel sighs heavily when their eyes connect.

 

 

“I know..I know I can’t always protect you..but I want to..” It’s almost like a whine, and Seongwoo can feel his husky voice vibrating between them as Daniel’s hands slip down to his hips; eyes desperate and soft and warm in ways that leave Seongwoo leaning up to kiss away the frown on his face with light pecks to the side of his mouth and his cheek.

 

 

Seongwoo can’t say anything to that..what could he possibly say..?

 

So he says nothing, responding with a low hum, his hands wrapping around Daniel’s sides and connecting over his back; muscles contracting and moving under his hands as they intertwine there in just the right place.

 

 

Daniel seems to understand, pulling his hand back to run it through his hair tiredly, smiling at the warmness that seeps through his lower back.

 

 

“Well..I can protect you in some ways atleast…tommorow we meet with upper management, and I’ll do most of the talking if you want me too….But I’m not going to be sugarcoating anything.” He states simply, expecting the groan and incredulous look Seongwoo throws at him as he steps back out of his hold to cross his arms over his chest. But something changes almost instantaneously like he’s had a realization. And then a soft affectionate grin replaces it, Daniel cocking his head in confusion.

 

 

 

“I’m not a princess in distress you know..? I can fight my own battles.” The smile that graces his face is beautiful Daniel thinks to himself; a playful look lighting up his own features as an idea pops up into his head.

 

 

Seongwoo raises an eyebrow, recognizing that face and not having enough time to do anything about it because two seconds later he’s flailing while hands wrap around the back of his thighs and his back and he’s swept off of his feet into Daniel’s arms…….. ** _Like a princess._**

****

****

He covers his face with his hand in faux frustration, feet swaying in the air, Daniel’s laughter booming the room and Seongwoo finds himself not able to hide the wide grin on his face. He pulls his hands away to steady themselves around Daniel’s shoulders and there’s a silly bright bunny smile beaming down at him. He shakes his head, cool air rushing into the excess fabric around his body with this new position, toes curling in at the gush of cool air.

 

 

 

“Really Daniel..?” He murmurs and Daniel only laughs in response as he begins to walk them both to the door.

 

 

 

“Yup..whether you like it or not from now on you’ll be my princess..and my princess smells like he needs a shower asap.” He says teasingly, looking down at Seongwoo with all the lovey dovey cheesiness he could conjure up as he tries to balance Seongwoo with one arm under his thighs as he reaches for the door knob and scoots it open with his big toe.

 

 

He looks so proud of himself Seongwoo scoffs before reaching up and pinching the soft tip of his left ear in warning, smirking when it goes pink in his hold; Daniel whining in pain for a few seconds till Seongwoo lets go. A warm arm resettles on his back to support his weight fully and he eases into it with smirk.

 

 

“This princess will kick your ass if you’re not careful Kang Daniel..you ever try that in front of the other members and you’ll be sleeping in your own bed for a month.” He half scolds half teases, trying to laugh away the familiar way his stomach begins to curl in on itself; making loud gurgling sounds that makes Daniel stop moving, stop laughing; he stops doing everything; standing halfway down the hall to stare down at Seongwoo’s stomach then look into his eyes with his mouth hanging open in thought.

 

 

Seongwoo bites his lip, swallowing thickly and getting antsy in Daniel’s arms with the quiet intense attention suddenly on him.

 

 

“Daniel-“ He starts hesitantly.

 

 

“Let’s go eat something first.” Daniel blurts out, eyes soft and searching for something that Seongwoo nods eagerly to.

 

 

“I’ve gotten so used to starving..the hunger pains seem soo normal I forget that it’s been way to long since I’ve had a full meal….But food..food actually sounds really good to me right now..your princess demands to be fed.” He throws his head back extravagantly, pointing to the kitchen and looking expectantly at Daniel.

 

 

 

Daniel laughs and raises an eyebrow at him, smiling when Seongwoo shrugs his shoulders with a faux innocent gaze.

 

 

His body moves for him and he presses a kiss to his cheek before adjusting Seongwoo in his arms and starting to walk towards the kitchen.

 

 

“Whatever you say princess Ong.” He mocks; flipping his hair away from his eyes and then freezing when he looks forwards and realizes Woojin is standing in the hallway too; at the closest entry to the living room with his face wash in his hand.

 

 

He’s giving them a judgmental look that melts into a smirk, raising his eyebrow in an evil way that makes Daniel swallow thickly .

 

 

“Oh Shit-“

 

 

 

Seongwoo groans in embarrassment, covering his face with his hands, hating the way a heated flush travels up his chest and into his cheeks.

 

 

 

Woojin walks closer to them, scratching his chin before smiling widely.

 

 

 

“Princess Ong huh…? That’s cute hyung’s.” He says before dashing away into the restroom with a chuckle, ducking away when Seongwoo tries to kick him upside the head mid-air.

 

 

Both Daniel and Seongwoo team up after dinner in an attempt to bribe Woojin into secrecy with a new pair of apple headphones…it works for the most part..but seconds later Sungwoon-Hyung is walking past them with a notebook in his hands, looking up nonchalantly for a few seconds as he passes by in greeting.

 

 

 

“Goodnight Princess Ong…Prince Daniel.”

 

 

 

Seongwoo smacks Daniel upside the head soo hard the whole dorm hears it and Daniel can’t even open his mouth to retaliate because he’s the one who started the mess.

 

 

Well..atleast some things are back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..I'm thinking..should there be one more chapter that shows their meeting with management..or is this ending good enough?


End file.
